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- Removing Water from E10 Gasoline -
www.fuel-testers.com
FUEL-TESTERS
Everything you need to know to safely manage ethanol & E10 gasoline...
One drop of concentrated Quik Check instantly checks gasoline for water contamination -
Right: Non-ethanol gas (no alcohol or water) - Blue Quik-Check drop settles to bottom.
Left: Gas contaminated with alcohol and water - Quik-Check turns sample bright blue.
Quik-Check
One drop will instantly determine if gas
contains alcohol or water. ORDER PAGE
Available in kit (QCK) with glass jar or
individual dropper bottle solution (QCS).
Quik-Check solution can be purchased individually,
starting at only $3.95.
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Which gas additives remove water or prevent phase separation?
It is difficult to safely remove all water from phase-separated gasoline, without some negative side-effects or risk.
While there are several gas treatment products that DELAY separation, none completely prevent water absorption of E10 gasoline.
Most products that claim to "prevent" phase separation and stabilize fuel, simply break-down or emulsify water (the water still remains in the tank, but can run through easier).
Products such as Gas Shok (USA Fuel Services), Stabil (Gold Eagle), and Startron (Starbrite) are often recommended by engine manufacturers and mechanics, for use in the engine types that have the greatest risk for water contamination (E.G. marine, prolonged storage, etc.).
VIEW Manufacturer E10 Fuel Warnings:
Mercury, OMC, Harley, Suzuki, Hyundai, Audi, Briggs & Stratton, Sears...
Ethanol (E10) is a strong water absorber that attracts water into gas.
Follow simple precautions to decrease risk and help safely manage E10 fuel blends.
E10 gas has a maximum shelf life of only 3 months under ideal environmental conditions, and can absorb excess water into gas in only a few weeks or less. Only 2-3 teaspoons water/gallon will phase separate E10 gas. Ethanol blends absorb 40-50 times more water, compared to 100% (non-alcohol) gasoline.
Marine engines and engines that have a vented fuel system (E.G. motorcycles, lawn equipment) and those that reside in humid environments have the greatest risk for E10 water contamination.
1. Removing and discarding fuel is the best method to treat E10 gas that is grossly contaminated with excess water.
Replace with new, fresh high quality gasoline, preferably non-ethanol blend.
2. Risky, but worth mentioning...
If you have less than 1/2 tank gas remaining, we suggest you fill the tank up with very high octane gas (91-93 or better) and quickly run gas through tank.
When empty, make sure tank walls are clean and dry and fill-up with non-ethanol gas or lowest ethanol percent gas available.
(Check % gas at pump to find lower blend or non-ethanol 100% gasoline.). Quik-Check indicator solution can be used to confirm gasoline and gas tank is water-free and ethanol-free.
We recommend adding an octane enhancer, such as Octane Boost 104 after removing water from E10 gas, "because octane-enhancing ethanol" chemically joins with water and will be removed with water. Removing ethanol + water lower layer from gas drops the octane about 2-3 points.
3. Hire a professional - Mobile on-site fuel tank cleaning service company. Often referred to as "fuel-polishing - filtering - gas purifying - tank cleaning". This is an effective solution - The only reason we placed it at #3 is because professional treatments are often too costly for a small engine/fuel tank.
4. Water can also be removed from phase-separated fuel by using some of the newer "water removal" additives in the market such as Hydroburn G®.
"Water-removing" gas additives almost always contain very strong solvents and alcohol, so always consider other (safer) options before use. When used improperly, additives that contain strong solvents, emulsifiers and/or high alcohol can cause unnecessary damage to engine and parts.
Caution: Always check that additve product is recommended by your engine manufacturer before use.
NON-additive precautions are always your best method to avoid water contamination of E10 gasoline.
For engines at very high risk for water contamination, (E.G. prolonged storage and marine engines),
preventive use of a petroleum-based fuel stabilizers may be necessary with E10 gas.
(Examples: Gas Shok, Startron, Stabil and many others).
